Áthalad

Áthalad is a Hungarian verb meaning to pass through or go through something. It describes moving from one side to the other by crossing an intervening space, boundary, or obstacle. The sense can be physical, as when a river passes through a city, or figurative, as when information or influence spreads through a population.

The verb is formed from the stem halad (to move) with the prefix á-, which conveys crossing or traversing. In typical use, áthalad is combined with a prepositional phrase that marks what is being passed through, for example through a place: “A folyó áthalad a városon.” or “Az út a hegységen át halad.”

Grammatical notes: áthalad is an intransitive, directional verb that takes a location expression rather than a direct object. It inflects like other Hungarian verbs, with present and past tenses formed on the prefixated stem (for example én áthaladok, én áthaladtam). In figurative usage, it can express that a perception or influence spreads through something, as in “A hírek áthatolták a közönséget.”

Common usage patterns include describing geographic passage (“a folyó áthalad a városon”), routes (“a vasútvonal a hegységen át halad”), and metaphorical spread (“az új ideológia áthalad a társadalmon”). The verb is closely related to átmegy, átjut and keresztül megy, all conveying the sense of moving through or across something.

Etymology: derived from halad with the prefix á-, a common Hungarian mechanism for forming verbs that denote crossing or going through. See also: átmegy, átjut, keresztülmegy.